Sports Technology

A newly launched fan-to-fan ticket exchange website aims to sideline online scalpers. The Ticketman website enables the swapping of tickets for shows, concerts and sporting events for sale.

The site, which went online earlier this year, is modelled on US ticket exchange services Stubhub and Seatwave.

Like those sites, it intends on becoming a one-stop shop for fans looking to offload tickets for shows, concerts and sporting events they are unable to attend.

Rather than encouraging a bidding war between users for tickets, Ticketman.com.au starts with the seller naming a price which buyers can either match or negotiate down.

The site derives income from the exchange by placing an 8% surcharge on top of the sale of the ticket, to be paid by the buyer.

Ticketman owner Ron Hodge said he expected the site to primarily be used by people who were unable to attend shows, explaining "we've talked to various people in the industry and they tell us that 20% of seats go unseated - to theatre, sporting events or concerts.

"These people don't know there is a viable way to pass those tickets on.

"It's not about scalping, it's about giving genuine people who have bought these tickets six months from an event and can't go (a place to offload their tickets)."

However, as the site places no restrictions on how much people can charge for their tickets, it could be used by to scalpers.

Hodge, who ran InvestSMART Financial Services before selling it to Fairfax, said he intended on leaving it up to the community to police any unscrupulous operators, adding "we are going to build a community of like-minded people who aren't in the business of screwing people and scalping people and today that is actually working.

"Now that the message wall is up, those people who are selling tickets illegally or selling tickets at stupid prices, I guarantee you these fans will start attacking them on the site."

All interactions between buyers and sellers are available to be viewed by all users of the site.

Just as buyers and sellers will build their reputation through the fairness of their dealings with other users, Hodge admits the site's credibility and success will be enhanced or diminished by the transaction experience of users.

Hodge does not intend to refund or interfere if a seller sells tickets which are at a different section of a venue than advertised. This has been an issue of contention for online ticket buyers in Queensland over the past 12 months.

Tickets to a recent Bon Jovi show in Brisbane bought through another ticket onseller, Ticketfinders.com.au, were cancelled by Suncorp Stadium staff after fans complained of being ripped off by the website .
Two TicketFinders customers, Steve Taylor and Julia Foster ordered $299 Diamond class tickets to the concert through the website before receiving tickets worth only $99.

Tickets for events held at Stadiums Queensland venues cannot be onsold for a price more than 10% of the face value of the ticket.

Once these price-inflated tickets were brought to the attention of Stadiums Queensland staff, they went ahead with the cancellations.

Hodge said Ticketman.com.au would not be able to guarantee tickets are where they say they are unless the site took physical delivery of the tickets itself. That was a process the site did not yet employ.

Hodge added that it will be up to the buyers and sellers to adhere to ticket onselling regulations in their state.

Queensland's Office of Fair Trading has advised ticket sellers and buyers to make themselves aware of the terms and conditions of the sale and resale of ticket when purchasing tickets that are being onsold.

A statement issued from the Office of Fair Trading said the restrictions on Stadiums Queensland venues, such as Suncorp Stadium, the Gabba and the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, were in place to allow for fans to have "a fair and equitable opportunity to purchase tickets.

"The leg ....

For more information go to www.facebook.com/ticketman.au

2nd July 2010 - MOSHTIX LAUNCHES TICKET SCALPING SURVEY

10th September 2010 - U2 CONCERT TICKETS WARNING 

11th December 2009 - TICKET SCALPER CAUGHT P!NK HANDED